Package



Nov. 6, 1956 J. K. BRUCE 2,769,535

PACKAGE Filed Sept. 18, 1952 ATTORNEY United States PACKAGE Application September 18, 1952, Serial No. 310,293

11 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to container packaging and particularly to a merchandising package comprising a plurality of bottles confined and transportable in unitary relation. This application is a continuation-in-part of U. S. patent application Serial No. 165,344, filed jointly by Thomas H. Davis and myself on May 31, 1950, and now matured into Patent No. 2,667,995, issued February 2, 1954.

In the co-pending application a container package for tin cans is described. Tin cans are characterized by peripheral beads at their opposite ends and the can package comprises a plurality of such cans arranged in a symmetrical group about a divider member. The divider member is shaped to extend between adjoining cans and to bear against one or both beads of each can. A resilient band encircles the several cans holding them in the described divider engaging relation. The can package is characterized by absence of bottom or top closure members and the related feature that the cans themselves are an integral part of the package structure, taking advantage of the inherent rigidity of the cans to impart structural stability to the combination.

Bottles difier from cans in the absence of such peripheral end beads between which a partition member may be confined. The package of the present invention involves resilient retention of the several packaged bottles about an intervening divider member, as in the above described package, and is further similar thereto in that the cooperative relation of the divider, containers and tensioned resilient encircling band obviates the necessity of upper or lower closure members or structural rigidity in the elements of the combination apart from that afforded by the containers themselves.

To effectuate such a package, and as in the case of the can package, it is necessary that the divider provide vertical support for the bottles. The resilient encircling band is not capable of or called upon to support any of the package weight.

- Vertical support is accomplished in the present instance by providing the divider with an enlarged bead along its lower edge and arranged approximately symmetrically about the center plane of the divider. Bottles are generally characterized by a flat circular bottom which is coaxial with but of smaller diameter than the bottle. As a consequence, the bottle wall curves inwardly as it approaches the bottom and juxtaposed bottles with abutting walls will define, on a section taken through the point of abutment, an intervening substantially triangular space immediately above the common plane of their bottoms. In the package of the invention the enlarged bead on the lower edge of the divider resides in this space and provides vertical support for the bottles without extending below the bottoms thereof.

7 In one aspect, therefore, the invention contemplates a package comprising a plurality of bottles arranged as a symmetrical group about an intervening divider, the divider extending from a point adjacent the plane common to the bottoms of the several bottles upwardly between atent adjoining sides thereof and having an enlarged bead extending along at least a part of its lower edge and between adjoining bottles, and resilient means encircling the several bottles in tension to hold them snugly against the divider.

As is apparent, the divider element constitutes a very important element of the invention since the cost of the package and the stability of the package are determined in large measure by this element. In the latter of these respects, it is preferable that the supporting bead forming a part of the divider be pliable to a certain extent so as to conform in part to bottle contour in the region of contact. In this manner a maximum area of contact between the bead and bottles is realized.

Further, and for purposes of economy, it is desirable to make the divider from a single piece of appropriate material, such as cardboard or chip board, the latter being a material frequently used in commercial cartons. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by folding such a single piece along parallel lines preferably equidistant from and relatively close to a center line of the material. In this manner the relatively thin striplying between the fold lines forms the bottom of the described bead and the two sections outwardly of the fold lines are laminated together as by gluing in face to face abutting relationship. The divider member as described may be provided with transversely extending flaps to project between constituent bottles of a given row. These flaps are conveniently formed by cutting the divider sections inwardly from opposite edges to define a rectangular articulated flap adapted to being folded along a line generally perpendicularly of the bead and outwardly in the desired transverse position. The divider member is referred to throughout the claims as being semi-rigid to distinguish its characteristics, exemplified by the mentioned chip board, for example, from the completely pliable resilient wall band material.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of package in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the package of Fig. l with two of the bottles removed and a corresponding portion of the outer binder cut away;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 with the bottles removed;

Fig. 4 is a partial horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, also with the bottles removed;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of alternative form of divider adapted for use in a two-bottle package; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a two-bottle package of the type employing the divider of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4, the package shown in different views in these figures comprises six bottles 10 symmetrically arranged in two parallel rows about a longitudinally extending divider 12. The longitudinal divider is provided with four transverse vanes 13, 14, 15, 16, the vanes 13 and 14 lying in a common plane and the vanes 15 and 16 lying in a common plane and each vane extending between constituent bottles of each of the two rows of bottles 10.

As shown in the sectional elevation of Fig. 3, divider 12 is provided along its lower edge with an enlarged bead 18 shown in its preferred form as being approximately symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical plane of the divider.

A band 20 of a suitable resilient material encircles the symmetrically arranged bottle group under tension and in frictional engagement with the walls of the corner bottles of the group holding the bottles in snug engagement with the divider 1 2 and its transverse wingsl3, 14, etc. 'With of tangency of the bottle and the divider and at a pointimmediately adjacent the bottle bottom. The divider thus servesas the principal and entirely sufiicient verticalsup- 7 port for each of the several bottles. Preferably the resilient band is approximately as wide as or slightly wider than the vertical wall section of the bottle, i. e. from the point of wall curvature'adjacent the bottom to the point of wall curvature leading into the bottle neck. As shown in Fig; 2, for example, the lower and upper edges of band 20 extend slightly beyond the point of vertical tangent.

As long as the bottles are held against the longitudinal vane section 12 by the'resilient and tensioned band 20 they cannot drop from the open bottom of the package by reason of the divider head 18. The package is hence unique in being devoid of a bottom or a top and as a consequence is very economical'andis space saving in that the six bottles so packaged define a total area only very slightly greater than six bottles similarly arranged in unpackaged form. The area increase of sucha group is only that due to the substantially inconsequential wall thickness of the divider element and of the resilient encircling wall member 20. There is no inc'rease in elevatially identical to the longitudinal divider section 12 above described with respect to the provision at its lower end of i a head 32 projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the plane of the divider and against which the rounded portions of the side walls of bottles 34, 35 immediately adcircles the bottles 34 and 35 and under tension to hold them in snug engagement with the divider 30. As in the selves the lateral dimensions exceed that of the bottles by the wall thickness of the divider and of the 7 resilient encircling wall member or band 38. a

As described in the co-pending application, above re-. ferred to, it is preferable from a merchandising standpoint although unrelated to structural considerations, that the resilient encircling band be transparent. Transparency of V V the band permits display of the labels or other indicia aption since the container has no bottom and no top. The

' Theupper portion of the divider element 12 is conveniently provided with a pair of finger holes 22, 23'forming a handle by means of which the package is convenient- .ly carried.

The divider element itself as illustrated in these figures comprises a single integral sheet of chip board. The sheet is folded, as shown in the sectional elevation of Fig. 3, along two parallel lines, designated in that figure as X and Y, and spaced substantially equidistant from the center line, designated C, of the sheet. The two'sectio'ns 12A and 12B formed respectively by folding the material along the lines X and Y are laminated together in face to face abutting relation conveniently by a suitable and conventional glue spread at spaced points or regions or substantially throughout the surface area thereof and commencing at a point spaced a slight distance from the fold lines X and'Y. The result is that bead 18, which is defined by the narrow strip intermediate the fold lines and Y and encompassing the center line C, has comparatively shallow sloping side walls between the fold lines and the point of initial abutment of the sections 12A and To form the transverse flaps or members 13, 14, and 16, the two sections 12A and 12B areeonveniently cut and the flaps are folded outwardly in the transverse relationship as illustrated most clearly in Figs. 2 and '4. Asa result two rectangular cavities are formed at op= posite edges of the longitudinal divider memberiby the described displacement of the integral folded flaps, one such cavity 26 being clearly shown in the cut away elevation of Fig. 2. V

The manner of divider construction as illustrated and above described is not essential to the development of a package as described but constitutes presently preferred practice because of the economies of fabrication and material'use. The entire divider is a single integral piece of material, the only waste being'aiforded by that part of the material cut away to form the finger holes 22 and 23. A formof two-bottle package, is illustrated in Figs. 5 and6, being an elevation of the divider mernber employed and Fig. 6 being anend elevation of such a package. Divider -shownin' these figures is substan:

inwardly from opposite side edges and prior to lamination,

pearing on the bottle and for this reason results in a highly attractive and merchandisable package.

Because of the fact that the encircling wall member is not called upon-to support any of :the package weight,

exerting as it does only an inward thrust as a result of its tension, it can be of'comparatively thin wall section. Sheet plastic has been found ideally suited for this purpose inasmuch as certain forms thereof-are possessed of a high de'-' gree of resiliency and transparent forms of this type of material are available.

The package as herein defined is similar to that de themselves form a necessa'rystructuralelement of. the

package. It is apparent that without the containers the divider. and resilient band constitute non-unitary components'smce there is no connection or engageme'nt be;

tween this band and the divider. e

The package, herein described is further similar to that described in the co pending application in that the entire vertical support for the container is achieved by the di vider member and the resilient encircling wall member is not required to support any of the weight of the con-.

tainers. Thereis absolutely no vertical component of force applied to thiswallmembrane. However, because the present invention deals with bottles rather than cans, there is the difference that in this instance support by the divider is accomplished by providing the lower edge of the divider with an enlarged bead, this bead engaging in the Many modifications may be-made in the divider itself with respect toelevational configuration, design and the like provided that it include/the edgewise'enlarged bead at its lower end for furnishing the vertical support required of it. suitable for the encircling wall membrane providing that they are resilient and that they are capable :of placement around the bottles under tension so' as to exer'tthe constrictive force necessary to hold the bottles in engagement with the supporting divider bead.- With these'limitations much imagination can be exercised in designing the di- Similarly many types of materials are vider and the resilient wall membrane to achieve maximum attractiveness, economy and merchandising appeal.

I claim:

1. An integral divider member for a bottle package comprising a sheet folded to form two substantially identical parts, the parts being laminated together and defining an enlarged bead along a bottom edge of the member, a first pair of laterally aligned articulated flaps extending outwardly from one of said parts above the bead and in spaced apart relation, and a second pair of articulated flaps extending outwardly from the other of said parts with the flaps of one pair being in transverse alignment with the flaps of the other pair.

2. A divider member for a bottle package comprising a flat sheet folded along parallel lines spaced equidistant from a center line of the sheet to form two substantially identical sections separated by an intervening narrow strip, the sections being laminated together with said strip defining a laterally extending bead along an edge of the member, a first pair of foldable flaps integrally formed from one of said sections above the bead and in laterally spaced apart and aligned relation, and a second pair of foldable flaps integrally formed from the other of said sections with the flaps of one pair being in transverse alignment with the flaps of the other pair.

3. A package consisting of a plurality of bottle arranged symmetrically about an intervening semi-rigid divider extending from. adjacent the bottom of the several bottles upwardly between adjoining sides thereof with the bottles contacting the divider along lines of tangency, the divider having an enlarged bead extending along at least that part of its lower edge intersected by the lines of tangency, and a separate continuous perimetral package wall of resilient material encircling the several bottles under tension to hold them snugly against the divider, the upper portion of the divider providing means to suspend the package.

4. A package consisting of a plurality of bottles arranged symmetrically about an intervening semi-rigid divider extending from adjacent the bottom of the several bottles upwardly between adjoining sides thereof with the bottle contacting the divider along lines of tangency, the divider having an enlarged bead extending along at least that part of its lower edge intersected by the lines of tangency and adapted to conform in the region of bottle contact to the contour of the bottle side immediately above the bottle bottom, and a separate continuous perimetral package wall of resilient material encircling the several bottles under tension to hold them snugly against the divider,

5. A package consisting of a plurality of bottles arranged in rows symmetrically about an intervening semirigid divider member, the divider member including a longitudinal member disposed between adjoining rows and extending from adjacent the bottom of the several bottles upwardly between adjoining sides thereof with the bottles contacting the longitudinal member along lines of tangency and transverse members disposed between constituent bottles of each row, the longitudinal divider member having an enlarged bead extending along at least that part of its lower edge intersected by the lines of tangency and adapted to conform in the region of bottle contact to the contour of the bottle side immediately above the bottle bottom, and a separate continuous perirnetral package wall of resilient material encircling the several bottles under tension to hold them snugly against the divider.

6. A package in accordance with claim 5 wherein the divider comprises a single sheet folded along two spaced parallel lines adjacent to and equidistant from a center line of the sheet to form two substantially identical sections symmetrically arranged about an intervening narrow strip, the two sections being joined together to form a two layer planar body with said intervening strip defining said laterally enlarged bead.

7. A bottomless and topless bottle package consisting of a plurality of bottles arranged in a symmetrical group, a divider positioned between the bottles so that the bottles contact the divider along lines of tangency, the divider having an enlarged bead along at least that portion of its lower edge intersected by the lines of tangency, and a separate continuous perimetral package wall of resilient material encircling the plurality of bottles under tension to hold the bottles in snug engagement with the divider, the upper portion of the divider providing means to suspend the package.

8. A package according to claim 7 wherein the divider is smaller in vertical dimensions than the bottles and smaller in lateral dimensions than the group of bottles.

9. A package according to claim 7 wherein the package wall is of a width approximating the vertical dimension of the bottle between the point of wall curvature adjacent and leading into the bottom and the point of wall curvature leading into the bottle neck.

10. A package according to claim 7 wherein said divider is formed from a single sheet of material symmetrically folded and laminated to form a two layer planar portion defined at one edge by said head and having articulated flaps folded outwardly from each of said layers and constituting said transverse divider members.

11. A bottomless and topless bottle package consisting of a plurality of parallel rows of bottles arranged in a rectangular group, a divider comprising a longitudinal member positioned between rows so that the bottles contact it along lines of tangency and transverse members positioned between constituent bottles of each row, the longitudinal divider member having an enlarged bead along at least the portion of its lower edge intersected by the lines of tangency, and a separate continuousperimetral package wall of resilient material encircling the plurality of bottles under tension to hold the bottles in snug engagement with the divider, the upper part of the longitudinal divider member providing means for suspending the package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 162,515 Burge Mar. 20, 1951 1,072,399 Lyon Sept. 2, 1913 1,747,390 Robb Feb. 18, 1930 1,781,279 Gorsuch Nov. 11, 1930 2,205,158 Farrand June 18, 1940 2,575,580 Cadmus Nov, 20, 1951 2,615,749 Kuchel Oct. 28, 1952 2,680,039 Burge June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 800,026 France Apr. 20, 1936 

